After their latest full-length release, it seemed like Kvarforth got it on his hips again. He started with doing a "Danzig" (kicking all other members out) and sought new ones. Fortunately, he didn't complete the "Danzig", but found new members that were actually better musicians than the previous. Then there were all the rumours of Kvarforth's supposed suicide and as dessert, his grandiose return, supposedly kicking the fill-in vocalist off stage and trying to break a limb. Shining (read: Kvarforth) has gone so over the top with his behavior that many suspect it to be a promotional stunt. Who can tell? Fact is, all those rumors created either very high or very low expectations for the fans of 2005's release "The Eerie Cold". And if you ask me they have blown away all expectations.

The madness begins with quite an unusual spoken intro. Someone utters the following words: "As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away." From any other band I would have died of laughter and silliness, but this time I got shivers and realized that Shining was going to destroy. Then hell breaks loose, to return to cold string-picking as fast as it came. The eerie vocals of Kvarforth show he is in for is best performance to date. Production wise "Halmstad" is blessed with the same sound as its predecessor and all instruments deserve to be heard. After the first song, the insanity continues in the usual Shining-fashion: six songs clocking in slightly over the forty minutes. Black Metal purists may complain that Shining drifts away and away from the Black Metal scene with each and every release, as the non-metal influences have once again increased (more rock and blues and even a piano-piece from Beethoven!). One can see this as negative, but for me they represent a shiny (bad pun intended), sparkling star across the heaven firmament, much brighter than any other "suicidal" or "depressive" black metal act.

In the end I can safely say Shining is still alive and kicking, and every single one of their releases has been an upgrade from the latter. Hail the King of Suicidal Black Metal!

Shining is the band that have no borders to expose the feelings and emotions, even if the group has been labelled suicidal/depressive black metal, the musicians use some non-Black Metal instruments such as piano and acoustic guitars showing no limits or rules for Kvarforth to obey. The first 4 full-length albums were just great and album by album Shining were getting more experienced and skilled, but it seems Niklas wasn't satisfied with the tool box since he almost changed all the band members and this lead some fans thinking whether the next album would be a disappointment. Well the answer is simply "HELL NO".

Kvarforth is absolutely possessed on this album, his vocals are just insane... Excellent album, their best so far IMO. I just hope the guy won't kill himself before I get to see them live in December lol.

Probably the only band I'd really be afraid of witnessing from the first row.

Mad Laughter - 27.09.2007 at 16:01

Yea you know about the performance with Maniac, Attila and Nattlefrost, right? Some guy in the audience apparently grabbed Kvarforth's crotch, and Kvarforth kicked him in the chest, and then Maniac started handing razor blades out to the audience....rofl...crazy.

Yeah well, I'm pretty nervous about seeing them, as the venue they'll be in is a very small place, more like a rehearsal garage. And the support will be Maniac's band, Skitliv. I just hope they won't do something stupid lol.

Ok, now that I've listened to dozens of other albums released in 2007, now that I've heard all that I was looking forward to (Benighted, Porcupine Tree, Wayd, etc), I think I can safely say I haven't heard anything that tops V: Halmstad. This is definitely the best album of the year for me.

Ok, now that I've listened to dozens of other albums released in 2007, now that I've heard all that I was looking forward to (Benighted, Porcupine Tree, Wayd, etc), I think I can safely say I haven't heard anything that tops V: Halmstad. This is definitely the best album of the year for me.

It has a strong rival in The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand (have you listened to that one?). But, in the end, I agree with you and think it beats all the competition!

Yeah, I have listened to The Angelic Process and I like it, though the production bugs me quite a lot. Not so much for the instruments, but more for the vocals. I like being able to discern what I'm listening to. I liked the album, but not as much as you do, judging by your review (but maybe it needs to grow on me) Still, in the end, I choose Shining hehe.

This album together with the Deathspell Omega one are my top favorite black metal albums of 2007.I heard this album thanks to a portuguese metal magazine (April), this album was classified as "Album Of The Month" and i couldn't agree more with i saw in the magazine and in the review. I think i'll hear some of their older stuff.

Quite impressive especially the last song - very powerful. And the instrumental, which is, as Lucas pointed is a famous piece by Beethoven. What is hard for me is that it sounds like gothic; I'm not very much into BM though, so excuse me for my ignorance.

Undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2007. The performance is brilliant and the vocals are simply perfectly entwined in the overall feel of the music.
10 out of 10 stars. I'll be looking forward to hear some more suicidal music from these lads...if they are like Kenny and keep coming back to life anyway...:suicide:

'The madness begins with quite an unusual spoken intro. Kvarforth utters the following words: "As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away." From any other band I would have died of laughter and silliness, but this time I got shivers and realized that Shining was going to destroy.'

This review was some time ago, but after reading it, thought you should know this. Well...maybe you've found out before this. That isn't Kvarforth, I believe its from the film 'Identity'. Might be called something else in the Netherlands.

I can't believe how good is this album...it got me from the first song (I don't even like Black Metal so much), but this is something else. I can't find any flaw, everything is just perfect to my ears...seriously if the other records of this band are half as good as this one I'll definitely have to get them. Greetings from Bolivia.

I can't believe how good is this album...it got me from the first song (I don't even like Black Metal so much), but this is something else. I can't find any flaw, everything is just perfect to my ears...seriously if the other records of this band are half as good as this one I'll definitely have to get them. Greetings from Bolivia.

This straddles Progressive Black Metal territory. if you were to go backward in the discography you'd hit harsher, depressive BM. if you went forward you'd get more progressive tendencies. I'd go backward and listen to IV - The Eerie Cold. The progressive side is more of the same and I'd say Halmstad is the high point of that influence. Greetings from the US, prepare for probing.

I can't believe how good is this album...it got me from the first song (I don't even like Black Metal so much), but this is something else. I can't find any flaw, everything is just perfect to my ears...seriously if the other records of this band are half as good as this one I'll definitely have to get them. Greetings from Bolivia.

This straddles Progressive Black Metal territory. if you were to go backward in the discography you'd hit harsher, depressive BM. if you went forward you'd get more progressive tendencies. I'd go backward and listen to IV - The Eerie Cold. The progressive side is more of the same and I'd say Halmstad is the high point of that influence. Greetings from the US, prepare for probing.

Well thanks for the suggestion i will listen to IV and then maybe the newer ones so I can compare both sounds. Still it's kinda wierd to like from the first spin a black metal band for me (regardless of the progressive part of it, I also like Enslaved but didn't grab me so fast as Shining). Cheers.

'The madness begins with quite an unusual spoken intro. Kvarforth utters the following words: "As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away." From any other band I would have died of laughter and silliness, but this time I got shivers and realized that Shining was going to destroy.'

This review was some time ago, but after reading it, thought you should know this. Well...maybe you've found out before this. That isn't Kvarforth, I believe its from the film 'Identity'. Might be called something else in the Netherlands.

Great review though!

The quote actually originates from a poet named William Hughes Mearns, although it is indeed used in the film Identity.